6 replies to this topic

[HistoryBuff]

I saw this car pictured first time today. It isn't as beautiful as the Zagato bodied coupes but apparently has  quite a story because it was "lost" for a long time. Is there any webiste that tells how it was found?

Here's the website with pictures

http://oppositelock....ster-1444671701

 

but their story is skimpy:

 

"French gentleman driver Claude Storez was looking for the ultimate 356 for the 1958 season. He put an order to Porsche for a 356a Speedster (the lightest version available) with a Carrera engine and GS specs (the most powerful at that time).

 

Although his car was very fast, he needed a even lighter and aerodynamic body shape to achieve maximum performance. Storez asked Zagato for a light aluminum body for his Porsche 356 Speedster Carrera.

 

Zagato technicians created a very light and smooth sport spider 2 seats body. Its shape paid homage to the 1953 550 RS and the 1957 718 RSK, but it also anticipated the RS60, RS61 and 356 Carrera Abarth GTL (bodied by Zagato) body style.

 

Starting from late summer, Storez attended many competitions in France with successful results. But the its career was suddenly stopped on February 7th 1959 due to an accident. The car was wrecked and vanished."

 

I'd at least like to hear what country it was found in, what year, what was paid for it as a wreck and who rebuilt it (wasn't Zagato out of business for years?)

 

 

 

[paulie]

Hey HistoryBuff,

 

This would make a great barn-find story if anyone could find the original wreck. Storez' car disappeared after his tragic accident and it has never been found.

The car you refer to is a recreation of the 1958 Zagato speedster owned by Storez. It was fabricated by Zagato under their Zagato Classic program for Herb Wetanson of New York.

I find that the front and rear design features are at odds with each other. The front treatment reflects the simplicity of the RSK Spyder and is very well done while the rear motor cover has too many elements and is unnecessarily busy.

 

Paulie    

[HistoryBuff]

I agree with you, the styling is mismatched front to rear. but didn't the one that Hans Hermann raced in the Mille Miglia in '54  have that almost finned fender treatment in the tail? See here: http://cdn05.motorsp...Pl.-Ges.Kl_.jpg

 

At any rate, still have questions re Storez

 

-what was the SN of the original Storez Speedster?

-what was the engine number?

If those can be found we can submit the numbers to  Porsche to confirm if there is a Kardex file proving a car with that chassis no. and engine no. was built

 

Was Storez' fatal accident in that same car?

Was the accident in a race or on the street?

(i think the accident was in Germany after he had taken the car to the factory for service).

[Tim Murray]

Claude Storez was killed whilst driving in a stage of the Rallye des Routes du Nord being run at the Reims circuit, but it’s not clear exactly which car he was driving:

http://www.motorspor....php?db=ct&n=68

http://tentenths.com...ead.php?t=43487

According to John Humphries in this post there’s a photo of Storez at Reims, taken shortly before the accident, in the book Les Heures Glorieuses Du Circuit de Reims by Dameron, Pernet and Hubert:
 

There is also a photo of Claude Storez lining up for his time trial on the circuit during the Rallye des Routes du Nord, blissfully unaware what fate had in store for him. His white Porsche has curious low profile fins on the back. Then there is also a photo in a local newspaper of the Porsche in a ditch and in the foreground the 200m board for the approach of Thillois corner, broken in half by the Porsche as it careered off the road.

Might this help identify the car? There is also this post from Carles Bosch which refers to the car being written off near Stuttgart whilst being driven by a Porsche mechanic.

[HistoryBuff]

I also heard the car was destroyed in Germany, though I might be confusing it with another one off Porsche Carrera that was also destroyed in Germany when taken there to the factory for service.All I know is that, after two stories like that, I wouldn't let their mechanics drive MY car...

[karlcars]

He was definitely killed at Reims in the Zagato-bodied car, which was written off. This car will be a sidebar in my forthcoming update of "Excellence".

[group7]

there was an article, seven pages in length, on the recreation of the Storez Zagato porsche in the January 2014 issue of Octane magazine, the cover has the Eagle E-Type low drag coupe. there is a small photo of the car post crash. 

 

 

Michael, in Canada.